Systems and methods for tracking pharmaceuticals within a faciltiy

ABSTRACT

A medication-dispensing unit is provided for tracking medical products having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag uniquely associated therewith. The dispensing unit includes compartments for receiving medical products therein, and readers for reading the RFID tags associated with the medical products in the compartments. A processor is coupled to the readers for receiving and processing readings of the RFID tags in the compartment to identify the medical products in the compartments. The processor may identify a medical product removed from a compartment by determining a difference between readings of the RFID tags in the compartment taken before and after the medical product is removed from the compartment. The processor may verify that the medical product removed from the compartment is authorized to be removed or confirm that an identified patient is intended to receive the medical product being removed from the compartment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. applicationSer. No. 10/085,472, filed Feb. 26, 2002, which is fully incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to systems and methodsfor dispensing medical products, and more particularly to systems andmethods for tracking and/or monitoring removal of medical products froma medication-dispensing unit and/or for inventorying amedication-dispensing unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In healthcare facilities, e.g., hospitals, medical productsprescribed to patients may be temporarily stored inmedication-dispensing units. Typically, a healthcare facility has one ormore medication-dispensing units located on each floor and/or nursingstation of the healthcare facility for storing medical productsprescribed to patients on that floor. Each of the medication-dispensingunits may include lockable storage compartments to limit access of themedical products contained therein to authorized healthcare workers.Controlled substances, such as morphine, may be segregated intoindividual storage compartments in a medication-dispensing unit tocontrol access to these substances.

[0004] A healthcare worker, e.g., nurse, may log onto amedication-dispensing unit before administering medical products topatients. In order to authenticate the healthcare worker logging on, thedispensing unit may require the healthcare worker to scan anidentification badge. Alternatively, the healthcare worker may gainaccess to the medical products in the dispensing unit with an electronicor manual key. Once logged on, the healthcare worker may pull up a listof patients assigned to him or her, including the medical products to beadministered to the patients. The healthcare worker may then remove themedical products identified in the list of patients from the dispensingunit. In a further alternative, the dispensing unit may automaticallygrant the healthcare worker access to one or more individual storagecompartments including medical products.

[0005] The inventory of medical products in a medication-dispensing unitmay be monitored manually by requiring healthcare workers logged ontothe dispensing unit to perform inventory checks of medical products inthe dispensing unit, e.g., by counting the quantities of the medicalproducts in the dispensing unit. The healthcare workers may thenmanually report their inventory checks to the dispensing unit, e.g., byentering inventory counts into the dispensing unit with a keypad orother input device. The healthcare workers may perform the manualinventory checks before and/or after removing medical products from thedispensing unit.

[0006] One problem with a manual approach for monitoring the inventoryof medical products in a dispensing unit is that it relies on theaccuracy of healthcare workers to manually check and report theinventory of medical products in the dispensing unit, which introduceshuman error. Another problem with a manual approach is that it may notprevent a dishonest healthcare worker from removing one or moreunauthorized medical products, e.g., a controlled substance, from thedispensing unit. When this occurs, an unauthorized removal of a medicalproduct may not be detected until another healthcare worker performs aninventory check of the medical product in the dispensing unit anddetects a discrepancy. In this case, the healthcare worker detecting thediscrepancy may report it to a healthcare administrator so that theadministrator may investigate the discrepancy, e.g., by tracking downall of the healthcare workers that have logged onto the dispensing unitwithin a certain period of time. A problem with this approach is that afew days may pass before the unauthorized removal is detected, making itdifficult to track down all of the healthcare workers. This may beespecially troublesome if some of the healthcare workers are roamingnurses who only occasionally visit the healthcare facility in question.

[0007] Accordingly, automated systems and methods for tracking and/ormonitoring removing medical products from a medication-dispensing unitwould be considered useful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is directed to systems and methods formonitoring or inventorying medical products within a healthcarefacility, e.g., a hospital. This may include systems and methods formonitoring medical products entering and/or leaving a pharmacy, fordispensing medical products from a medication-dispensing unit, and/orfor delivering medical products to individuals within the facility.

[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, anapparatus is provided for tracking medical products, each of the medicalproducts having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag uniquelyassociated therewith. The apparatus includes a casing including one ormore compartments for receiving one or more medical products therein.One or more readers are provided for reading the RFID tags associatedwith the medical products in the compartment. For example, a singlereader may read the RFID tags of all of the medical products in thecasing, or one or more readers may be provided for each compartment.

[0010] A processor is coupled to the reader for receiving and processingreadings of the RFID tags in the compartment to identify the medicalproducts in the compartment. The processor may identify a medicalproduct removed from the compartment by determining a difference betweenreadings of the RFID tags in the compartment taken before and after themedical product is removed from the compartment. Optionally, theprocessor may verify that the medical product removed from thecompartment is authorized to be removed, e.g., by comparing a productidentifier associated with the RFID tag of the removed medical productto a product identifier of a medical product authorized to be removedfrom the compartment. The product identifier may include at least one ofa product name, a product serial number, a product lot number, and apatient identifier.

[0011] The apparatus may also include a display coupled to the processorfor displaying a mismatch notification on the display when the processordetects a mismatch between the product identifier read from the RFID tagof the removed medical product and the product identifier of the medicalproduct authorized to be removed. Optionally, the apparatus may includean input device coupled to the processor for identifying a patient to beassociated with one or more medical products being removed from thecompartment.

[0012] The apparatus may also include a return compartment for returningunused medical products, and a reader for reading an RFID tag of anyreturned medical product placed in the return compartment, the processorcoupled to the reader for identifying the returned medical product.

[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, amethod is provided for monitoring removal of medical products stored ina medication-dispensing unit, each of the medical products comprising aRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag uniquely associated therewith.The RFID tags of the medical products in an individual compartment or inthe dispensing unit may be read before removing one or more medicalproducts from the dispensing unit. One or more medical products may beremoved from the dispensing unit,. and then the RFID tags of the medicalproducts remaining in the individual compartment or dispensing unit maybe read after the one or more medical products are removed from thedispensing unit. A difference between the readings of the RFID tagstaken before and after the one or more medical products are removed fromthe dispensing unit may be determined to identify the one or moremedical products removed from the dispensing unit.

[0014] Optionally, the dispensing unit may automatically verify that theone or more medical products removed from the dispensing unit areauthorized to be removed from the dispensing unit. For example, aproduct name identified by an RFID tag removed from the dispensing unitmay be compared with a product name authorized to be removed from thedispensing unit. In addition or alternatively, a patient may beidentified, and a product name identified by the RFID tag removed fromthe dispensing unit may be compared with a list of medical productsscheduled for deliver to the identified patient.

[0015] In another option, the dispensing unit may transmit an inventorynotice from the dispensing unit when a quantity of RFID tags storedwithin the dispensing unit falls below a threshold and/or to provide acurrent inventory of the contents of the dispensing unit.

[0016] In yet another option, a medical product may be returned to thedispensing unit, and the RFID tags of the medical products in thedispensing unit may be read before and after the medical product isreturned to the dispensing unit. A difference between the readings ofthe RFID tags taken before and after the medical products are returnedto the dispensing unit may be used to identify the medical productreturned to the dispensing unit. In addition, an intended patient forthe returned medical product may be identified, and a notice may besent, e.g., to a pharmacy, doctor, administrator, and the like, that theintended patient did not receive the returned medical product.

[0017] It will be appreciated that any of these procedures, e.g.,identifying medical products removed or returned to a dispensing unit,inventorying contents, and/or identifying intended patients, may beperformed separately from one another or together.

[0018] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention,an apparatus is provided for monitoring administration of medicalproducts to a patient, each of the medical products including a RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) tag for storing data related to therespective medical product. The apparatus includes a reader forsubstantially simultaneously reading RFID tags associated with aplurality of medical products to obtain the data stored in the RFIDtags, and a processor coupled to the reader for comparing the dataobtained from the RFID tags with data associated with a patient toverify that the patient is intended to receive the medical products. Ina preferred embodiment, the reader is an antenna in a read pad forreading the RFID tags associated with the medical products when themedical products are placed in close proximity to the read pad, e.g.,when the medical products are placed on a surface of the read pad.

[0019] Optionally, the apparatus may include an output device coupled tothe processor; the processor activates the output device when theprocessor detects a mismatch between the data obtained from the RFIDtags and the data associated with the patient.

[0020] During use, one or more medical products may be placed in closeproximity to a RF antenna, e.g., the reader, and the Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) tags associated with the medical products may beread using the RF antenna to obtain the data stored in the RFID tags.Each of the plurality of medical products may be identified based uponthe data obtained from the RFID tags. Optionally, data associated with apatient may be accessed, and the processor or a computer devicecommunicating with the processor may verify that the patient is intendedto receive the medical product by comparing the data obtained from theRFID tag with the data associated with the patient.

[0021] Other objects and features of the present invention will becomeapparent from consideration of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022]FIG. 1A shows a delivery device including an RFID tag, inaccordance with the present invention.

[0023]FIG. 1B shows a medical container including an RFID tag, inaccordance with the present invention.

[0024]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a system for tracking and monitoringmedical products, in accordance with the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 3 is a flowchart, showing a method for tracking the inventoryof medical products in a pharmacy, in accordance with the presentinvention.

[0026]FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a medication-dispensing unit, inaccordance with the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 5 is a flowchart, showing a method for verifying that amedication-dispensing unit receives medical products, in accordance withthe present invention.

[0028]FIG. 6 is a flowchart, showing a method for verifying that ahealthcare worker only removes medical products from the dispensing unitthat he or she is authorized to remove, in accordance with the presentinvention.

[0029]FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a bedside terminal, in accordancewith the present invention.

[0030]FIG. 8 is a flowchart, showing a method for verifying that ahealthcare worker intends to administer the correct medical products toa patient, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The present invention provides systems and methods for trackingand monitoring medical products within a healthcare facility, e.g., ahospital, clinic, or the like. The medical products may includevaccines, pharmaceuticals, or other therapeutic or diagnostic agents.

[0032] The medical products may be placed in drug delivery devices, suchas syringes or other injection devices. FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplarydrug delivery device 12 in the form of a syringe. Each of the drugdelivery devices 12 may contain a unit dose of the medical product, suchas a pre-filled syringe or ampoule. In addition, or alternatively, eachof the delivery devices 12 may include a holder (not shown) within whicha syringe or other medical cartridge may be received and/or a needleguard device (not shown) that may be attached to a syringe or medicalcartridge. In a further alternative, the medical products may be placedin medical containers, such as bottles, vials, IV bags, pouches, and thelike, or packaging (not shown) from which the medical products may beremoved and administered to patients. FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplarymedical container 15 in the form of a vial.

[0033] The medical products are tracked within the healthcare facilityby attaching a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 20 to each ofthe delivery devices 12 and/or medical containers 15 containing themedical products, as explained further below. FIGS. 1A and 1B show anexemplary RFID tag 20 attached to a delivery device 12 and a medicalcontainer 15, respectively. Each of the RFID tags 20 includes awrite/read memory (not shown) for storing information and a built-inantenna (not shown) for communicating with a RF reader/writer. A RFreader may include an antenna for reading information stored in the RFIDtag 20, e.g., by transmitting an RF interrogation signal to induce theRFID tag 20 to transmit its information to the RF reader, which isdetected by the antenna. The RFID tag 20 may be active, i.e., powered byan internal power source, or passive, i.e., powered by a RF signaltransmitted from the RF reader.

[0034] The RFID tag 20 attached to each of the delivery devices 12,medical containers 15, and/or packaging (not shown) stores informationrelated to the medical product contained therein. The information in theRFID tag 20 may include product information, such as a serial numberand/or a National Drug Code (NDC) associated with the medical product, aproduct name, a manufacture's name, a lot number, and/or an expirationdate. Alternatively, the information in the RFID tag 20 may include aproduct identifier uniquely associated with one or more entries in adatabase that may be accessed to obtain information related to themedical product. The information in the RFID tag 20 may also includedosage information, identifying the amount and/or concentration of themedical product, and/or a patient identifier identifying a patientintended to receive the medical product. Other optional information mayinclude administration requirements, instructions for use and/or productwarning, such as possible allergic reactions or adverse interaction ofthe product with other medical products. Other information that may bestored in the RFID tag 20 is given below. Information may be writteninto the RFID tag 20 by the manufacturer of the medical product and/orthe healthcare facility receiving the medical product. Some or all ofthe information in the RFID tag 20 may also be printed on the outersurface of the RFID tag 20 so that a healthcare worker may visually readthe information.

[0035] Each of the RFID tags 20 may be made thin and flexible, allowingthe RFID tag 20 to be attached to a delivery device 12, medicalcontainer 15, and/or packaging (not shown) so that it does not interferewith using the delivery device 12 or medical container 15. For example,an RFID tag 20 may be affixed around the barrel of a syringe 12, asillustrated in FIG. 1A.

[0036] RFID tags 20 offer several advantages over conventional barcodetags. For example, a RF reader does not require a line of sight betweenitself and a RFID tag 20 to read the information in the RFID tag 20. Inaddition, a RF reader may read many RFID tags 20 at a time, while abarcode reader or scanner can only read one barcode tag at a time.Furthermore, RFID tags 20 may be smaller, more accurate, more durable,and may be capable of storing more information than barcode tags.

[0037]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a system 110 for tracking andmonitoring medical products according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention. The system 110 may be implemented at a healthcare facility,such as a hospital, a nursing home, a clinic, or the like.

[0038] The system 110 includes a healthcare management computer 115 anda healthcare database 120. The healthcare management computer 115manages and stores information related to the operation of thehealthcare facility in the healthcare database 120. The managementcomputer 115 may be a central computer and/or a network of computers andmay or may not be physically located on the premises of the healthcarefacility. The system 110 also includes a pharmacy terminal 130 coupledto a RF reader/writer 135 and a medication dispensing terminal 140coupled to a RF reader 145. The system 110 further includes a bedsideterminal 150 coupled to a RF reader 155, which may be located at or nearthe bedside of a patient (not shown). Each of the terminals 130,140,150preferably includes a processor, memory, an input device, and an outputdevice (all not shown) for performing the tasks described below. Inaddition, each of the RF readers 135,145,155 may be built into theirrespective terminal 130,140,150. Each of the terminals 130,140,150 maybe linked to the management computer 115 via communications links160,165,170, respectively. The communications links 160,165,170 may becable links, optical links, and/or wireless links, e.g., short-range RFlinks. Preferably, each of the terminals 130,140,150 may access patientand/or medical product information stored in the healthcare database 120via the communications links 160,165,170.

[0039] The information stored in the healthcare database 120 may includea patient file uniquely associated with each individual patient admittedin the healthcare facility. Each of the patient files may include thepatient's name, address, social security number, and/or patient ID,which may be assigned to the patient upon admission to the healthcarefacility. Each of the patient files may also include the medicalproducts prescribed to the respective patient and/or a record of themedical products administered to the respective patient, including datesand time of administration, the healthcare who administered the medicalproducts, and the like. Each of the patient files may also include thecurrent location of the respective patient within the healthcarefacility, e.g., the floor and/or room number of the patient in thehealthcare facility. The information in the database 120 may furtherinclude insurance billing information for each individual patient,including the name, telephone number, billing address, and/or group IDof the patient's insurer. In addition, the information in the database120 may include a healthcare worker file associated with each individualhealthcare worker working at the healthcare facility. Each of thehealthcare worker files may include reports reflecting the workperformance of the healthcare worker, as explained further below.Additional information that may be stored in the database 120 is givenbelow.

[0040] Turning to FIG. 3, a method for tracking the inventory of medicalproducts in a pharmacy of the healthcare facility will now be describedaccording to an embodiment of the invention. The healthcare database 120in this embodiment includes a pharmacy inventory of the medical productsstored in the pharmacy.

[0041] In step 310, the pharmacy receives a shipment of medicalproducts. Preferably, each of the medical products may be identified byan RFID tag 20, which may be attached to a delivery device 12 and/ormedical container 15 containing the medical product. Each of the RFIDtags 20 may include product information for the associated medicalproduct, including a serial number and/or a NDC, the product name, themanufacturer's name, a lot number, and/or an expiration date.Alternatively, or in addition, each of the RFID tags 20 may include aproduct identifier uniquely associated with one or more entries in adatabase that may be accessed to obtain information related to theassociated medical product.

[0042] In step 320, the product information in the RFID tags 20 of thereceived medical products is read into the pharmacy terminal 130 usingthe RF reader 135. In step 330, the pharmacy terminal 130 transmits theproduct information read from the RFID tags 20 of the received medicalproducts to the management computer 115 via the communications link 160.In step 340, the management computer 115 uses the received informationto update the pharmacy inventory in the database 120 accordingly. Thepharmacy inventory may be updated to include the product name, amount,and/or expiration date of each of the medical products received by thepharmacy.

[0043] In an optional step 350, the database 120 receives information ofthe medical products shipped to the healthcare facility from themanufacturer. This information may be downloaded into the database 120from a remote manufacturer database (not shown) via, e.g., an Internetlink, from a CD-ROM disc included with the medical product shipment, orthe like. The information of the medical products shipped to thehealthcare facility may include the serial number, NDC, and product nameof each of the medical products shipped to the healthcare facility.

[0044] In step 360, the management computer 115 compares the informationof the medical products shipped to the healthcare facility with theinformation received from the pharmacy terminal 130 to verify that allof the medical products shipped to the healthcare facility were receivedby the pharmacy. This comparison may be carried out, e.g., by having themanagement computer 115 compare the serial numbers of the medicalproducts shipped to the healthcare facility with the serial numbers readfrom the RFID tags 20 of the received medical products. If themanagement computer 115 detects a mismatch between the medical productsshipped to the healthcare facility and the medical products received bythe pharmacy in step 360, the management computer 115 may transmit anotification of the detected mismatch to the pharmacy terminal 130. Thenotification may then be displayed to a healthcare worker at thepharmacy, e.g., via a display (not shown) at the pharmacy terminal 130.The notification may include specific information of the mismatch, suchas the identity of any shipped medical products missing from thepharmacy.

[0045] In one embodiment, the management computer 115 automaticallyorders a medical product from a manufacturer and/or wholesaler when theamount of the medical product stored in the pharmacy 130 drops below apredetermined minimal level. This may be done, e.g., by having themanagement computer 115 monitor the amount of the medical product in thepharmacy using the pharmacy inventory in the database 120. When theamount of the medical product in the pharmacy inventory drops below theminimal level, the management computer 115 may place an electronic orderfor the medical product to a manufacturer computer, e.g., via anInternet link.

[0046] When a physician prescribes a medical product to a patient, theprescription is forwarded to the pharmacy, e.g., electronically or inthe form of a handwritten prescription. The prescription may include thefrequency, dosage, and duration that the medical product is to beadministered to the patient. The prescription may also be sent to themanagement computer 115 to be included in the associated patient file inthe healthcare database 120. A pharmacist at the pharmacy may preparethe prescribed medical product for administration to the patient inaccordance with the prescription. This may involve transferring and/oradmixing unit doses of the prescribed medical product from a bulkmedical container into separate delivery devices 12. Preferably, each ofthe delivery devices 12 has a RFID tag 20 attached thereon into whichinformation related to the medical product contained therein may bewritten using the RF writer 135. The written information may include theproduct name and dosage of the medical product in the delivery device,and/or the name, patient ID and/or the location of the patient intendedto receive the medical product. In addition, the written information mayinclude the identity of the pharmacist or other health care workerpreparing the medical product and/or the date and time that the medicalproduct was prepared.

[0047] Alternatively, or in addition, the prescribed medical product maybe shipped to the pharmacy from the manufacturer in unit-dose deliverydevices 12 or medication containers 15, e.g., vials, bottles, bags, andthe like. In this case, the pharmacist may use the RF writer 135 towrite additional information into each of the RFID tags 20 attached tothe delivery devices 12 and/or medication containers 15, including thename, patient ID and/or location of the patient intended to receive themedical product. Optionally, individual delivery devices 12 and/ormedication containers 15 may be assigned to individual patients as theyare removed from a dispensing unit (not shown), as described furtherbelow.

[0048] After the medical product is prepared for the patient, themedical product may be grouped with other prepared medical products fortransport to a medication-dispensing unit. As the medical products arewithdrawn from the pharmacy for transportation to themedication-dispensing unit, the information in the RFID tags 20 of themedical products may be read into the pharmacy terminal 130 using the RFreader 135. For example, all of the medical products may be identifiedby passing a cart or other device carrying the medical products intoclose proximity with the RF reader 135, thereby simultaneously readingall of the RFID tags 20 identifying the medical products. For example,the RF reader 135 may be mounted to a doorway of the pharmacy forautomatically reading the RFID tags 20 of the medical products as theyare withdrawn from the pharmacy. The pharmacy terminal 130 may alsoidentify the medication-dispensing unit intended to receive the medicalproducts. This may be done by having a healthcare worker manually enterthe identity of the dispensing unit into the pharmacy terminal 130,and/or reading a RFID tag identifying the dispensing unit using the RFreader 135. This may also be done by reading a patient identifier and/orlocation from the RFID tags 20 of the medical products into the pharmacyterminal 130 and having the pharmacy terminal 130 access a databasematching the patient identifier and/or location with an assigneddispensing unit. The pharmacy terminal 130 may also identify thehealthcare work transporting the medical products to the dispensingunit. This may be done by having the healthcare worker enter a codeand/or pin number uniquely associated with the healthcare worker intothe pharmacy terminal 130, and/or reading a RFID tag identifying thehealthcare worker using the RF reader 135.

[0049] The pharmacy terminal 130 may then transmit the information readfrom RFID tags 20 of the medical products to the management computer 115via the communications link 160. The pharmacy terminal 130 may alsotransmit the identity of the dispensing unit to receive the medicalproducts and/or the identity of the healthcare worker transporting themedical products to the dispensing unit. The management computer 115uses the received information to record the medical products beingwithdrawn from the pharmacy in the database 120 and to update thepharmacy inventory in the database 120 accordingly. The record of themedical products being withdrawn from the pharmacy may include theproduct name and amount of each of the medical product being withdrawn.The record may also include the date and time that the medical productsare withdrawn from the pharmacy, the identity of the dispensing unit toreceive the medical products, and/or the identity of the healthcareworker transporting the medical products to the dispensing unit.

[0050] Medication-dispensing unit may be placed throughout the medicalfacility for temporarily storing medical products and for dispensing themedical products to healthcare workers, e.g., nurses, assigned toadminister the medical products to patients. Each of themedication-dispensing units, e.g., stationary medication stations and/ormovable medication carts, may be located on the same floor, wing, andthe like of the healthcare facility as the patients intended to receivethe medical products stored therein.

[0051]FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary medication-dispensing unit 410according to an embodiment of the invention. The dispensing unit 410includes a casing 435 including one or more and preferably a pluralityof storage compartments 440 for storing medical products therein. Eachof the storage compartments 440 may store medical products for anindividual patient or for general use. The dispensing unit 410 mayinclude lockable doors for controlling access to the storagecompartments 440. Alternatively, or in addition, the dispensing unit 410may include lockable drawers that may be pulled out from the storagecompartments 440.

[0052] The dispensing unit further includes a medication dispensingterminal 140 and a RF reader 145 (not shown in FIG. 4). The dispensingterminal 140 further includes a display 420, e.g., a monitor, and aninput device 430, e.g., a touch screen or keypad, as illustrated in FIG.4.

[0053] Preferably, the RF reader 145 is configured to read the RFID tags20 inside the storage compartments 440 of the dispensing unit 410. Toaccomplish this, the RF reader 145 may be made up of a plurality of RFreaders, each of the RF readers configured to read the RFID tags 20 inone of the storage compartments 440. Alternatively, a single RF readermay be used to read the RFID tags 20 of the entire contents of thedispensing unit 410.

[0054] Optionally, the dispensing unit 410 may include one or morereturn compartments or bins (not shown) for unused medical products, asexplained further below. Each return bin may include a slot or drawer(not shown) for placing one or more medical products therein, e.g., suchthat the medical products cannot be removed from the return bin withoutgaining authorization to override a lock and open the return bin. Eachreturn bin may include a RF reader for reading the RFID tags of anyreturned medical products placed in the return bin, e.g., to inventoryreturned medical products. Alternatively, a single RF reader of thedispensing unit 410 may read any RFID tags of medical products in thereturn bin, along with the RFID tags of medical products in the othercompartments.

[0055] Turning to FIG. 5, a method for verifying that the medicalproducts transported to the dispensing unit 410 from the pharmacy arereceived by the dispensing unit 410 is described according to apreferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the healthcare database 120includes a dispensing unit inventory of the medical products in thedispensing unit 410.

[0056] In step 510, the dispensing terminal 140 reads the RFID tags 20inside the dispensing unit 410 before the dispensing unit 410 receivesthe medical products from the pharmacy. In step 520, a healthcare workerplaces the medical products from the pharmacy in the dispensing unit410. In step 530, the dispensing terminal 140 reads the RFID tags 20inside the dispensing unit 410 after the medical products are placed inthe dispensing unit 410. In step 540, the dispensing terminal 140identifies the medical products placed in the dispensing unit 410 bydetermining the difference between the RFID tag readings taken beforeand after the medical products are placed in the dispensing unit 410.Alternatively, the dispensing terminal 140 may transmit the RFID tagreadings to the management computer 115 so that the management computer115 may identify the medical products placed in the dispensing unit. Instep 550, the dispensing terminal 140 transmits information of themedical products received by the dispensing unit 410 to the managementcomputer 115 via the communications link 165. This information mayinclude the product information read from the RFID tags 20 of thereceived medical products. The management computer 115 uses theinformation received from the dispensing terminal 130 to update thedispensing unit inventory in the database 120 accordingly.

[0057] In step 560, the management computer 115 may verify that thedispensing unit 410 received all of the medical products withdrawn fromthe pharmacy for transport to the dispensing unit 410 by, e.g.,comparing the medical products received by the dispensing unit 410 withthe record of the medical products withdrawn from the pharmacy. If themanagement computer 115 detects a mismatch between the medical productsreceived by the dispensing unit 410 and the medical products withdrawnfrom the pharmacy, the management computer 115 may transmit anotification of the detected mismatch to the dispensing terminal 140 viacommunications link 165. The dispensing terminal 140 may then notify thehealthcare worker at the dispensing unit 410 of the mismatch, e.g., viathe display. The notification may include specific information of themismatch, such as the identity of any medical products missing from thedispensing unit 410. The dispensing terminal 140 may then give thehealthcare worker an opportunity to correct the mismatch, e.g., byrepeating the above steps 520 through 560. The management computer 115may include a report of the mismatch in the associated healthcare workerfile, including whether the healthcare worker corrected the mismatchand/or specific information of the mismatch, such as the identity ofmissing medical products. If the healthcare worker fails to correct themismatch, the management computer 115 may notify a healthcareadministrator via a terminal display (not shown) linked to themanagement computer 115 so that the healthcare administrator may takeappropriate action.

[0058] In one embodiment, the management computer 115 periodicallyperforms an inventory check of the medical products in the dispensingunit 410 to detect any unauthorized removal of medical products from thedispensing unit 410. The management computer 115 may check the inventoryof the dispensing unit 410 by transmitting a request to the dispensingterminal 130, via the communications link 160, to read the RFID tags 20of the medical products inside the dispensing unit 410. After readingthe RFID tags 20, the dispensing terminal 130 may transmit informationfrom the read RFID tags 20 to the management computer 115. Themanagement computer 115 may then compare the information from the readRFID tags 20 with the dispensing unit inventory stored in the database120. If the management computer 115 detects a mismatch, then themanagement computer 115 may notify a healthcare administrator of themismatch via a terminal display (not shown) linked to the managementcomputer 115. The notification may include the identity of any medicalproducts missing from the dispensing unit 410. In a further embodiment,a healthcare worker at a terminal (not shown) linked to the managementcomputer 115 may remotely request the management computer 115 to performan inventory check of the dispensing unit 410, e.g., to seek adispensing unit for a needed or missing medical product.

[0059] Turning to FIG. 6, a method for verifying that a healthcareworker, e.g., nurse, only removes those medical products from thedispensing unit 410 for the patients assigned to him or her will now bedescribed.

[0060] In step 610, the healthcare worker may begin or resume a round,in which he or she is to administer medical products to patientsassigned to him or her in the round. In step 620, the healthcare workermay log onto the dispensing terminal 140, e.g. by swiping an electroniccard, by entering a PIN number uniquely associate with the healthcareworker into the input device, or by reading an RFID tag worn by thehealthcare worker. In step 630, once the healthcare worker is logged on,he or she may pull up information of the patients assigned to him or herin the round, which is displayed on the display. The information mayinclude the patients' names and the medical products to be administeredto the patients in the round. The information may be preloaded in thedispensing terminal 140 or downloaded into the dispensing terminal 140from the associated patient files in the database 120 via thecommunications link 165.

[0061] In step 640, the healthcare worker removes the medical productsto be administered to the patients in the round from the dispensing unit410. The healthcare worker may gain access to the medical products byhaving the dispensing unit 410 automatically open the doors to thestorage compartments 440 containing the medical products to be removed.Alternatively, the healthcare worker may use an electronic or manuallykey to gain access to the storage compartments 440 containing themedical products to be removed. In step 650, the dispensing terminal 140identifies the medical products removed from the dispensing unit 410 bythe healthcare worker. The dispensing terminal 140 may do this, e.g., byreading the RFID tags 20 inside the dispensing unit before and after thehealthcare worker removes the medical products from the dispensing unit410. The dispensing terminal 140 may then determine the differencebetween the two RFID tag readings to detect removal of the RFID tags 20,and consequently the medical products having the RFID tags 20, from thedispensing unit 410, and thereby identify the medical products removedfrom the dispensing unit 410.

[0062] In step 660, the dispensing terminal 140 may verify that thehealthcare worker removed only those medical products that he or she wasauthorized to remove. The dispensing terminal 140 may do this, e.g., bycomparing the medical products removed from the dispensing unit 410 withthe medical products to be administered in the round. For example, thedispensing terminal 140 may compare the product names and/or dosages ofthe removed medical products with the product names and/or dosages ofthe medical products to be administered in the round. The dispensingterminal 140 may obtain the names and/or dosages of the removed medicalproducts from the RFID tag reading taken before the medical products areremoved from the dispensing unit 410. The product names and dosages ofthe medical products to be administered in the round may be downloadedfrom the associated patient files in the database 120. Alternatively, orin addition, the dispensing terminal 140 may compare the intendedpatients of the removed medical products with the patients to beadministered in the round.

[0063] If the dispensing terminal 140 detects a mismatch between themedical products removed from the dispensing unit and the medicalproducts to be administered during the round, the dispensing terminal140 may notify the healthcare worker of the detected mismatch via thedisplay 420. Alternatively, or in addition, the dispensing terminal 140may notify the healthcare worker using an audio indicator, e.g., buzzer,and/or a visual signal indicator, e.g., a flashing light. The dispensingterminal 140 may provide the healthcare worker, via the display 420,with the specifics of the detected mismatch, such as the identity ofmedical products that the healthcare worker was not authorized to removefrom the dispensing unit 410. The dispensing terminal 140 may then givethe healthcare worker an opportunity to correct the mismatch, e.g., byreturning an unauthorized medical product to the dispensing unit 410 andrepeating steps 640-650. The unauthorized medical product(s) may bereturned to the compartment(s) from which it(they) were removed, or maybe placed in a return bin, specifically intended for returned medicalproducts.

[0064] The dispensing terminal 140 may transmit information of themedical products removed from the dispensing unit 410 to the managementcomputer 115 via the communications link 160. The information may.include the product information and intended patients of the removedmedical products. The management computer 115 may use the receivedinformation from the dispensing terminal 140 to update the dispensingunit inventory in the database 120 accordingly. The received informationmay also include any detected mismatch that occurred during removal ofthe medical products from the dispensing unit 410. If a mismatch occurs,the management computer 115 may include a report of the mismatch in theassociated healthcare worker file, including specific information of themismatch and whether the healthcare worker corrected the mismatch. Sucha report may allow the healthcare facility administration to evaluatethe work performance and/or honesty of the healthcare worker.

[0065] After retrieving the medical products from the dispensing unit410, the healthcare worker may visit the patients assigned to him or herin the round to administer the medical products. While visiting eachpatient in the round, the healthcare worker may administer the medicalproducts prescribed to that patient.

[0066] Each of the patients may be provided with a bedside terminal 150for verifying that the patient receives the correct medical productsduring the round. FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary bedside terminal 150according to an embodiment of the invention. The bedside terminal 150may include a RF read pad 710 having a built-in RF reader 155 (not shownin FIG. 7), an input device 720, e.g., a keypad or a touch screen, andan output device 730, e.g., an LCD display, or a sound or visualindicator. The RF reader 150 may be configured to read the RFID tags 20of medical products placed onto the RF read pad 710. Alternatively, theRF reader 155 may be a separate device coupled to the bedside terminal150, e.g., via a direct or wireless link. For example, the RF reader 155may be a separate device located at an entrance, e.g., doorway, of apatient's room for automatically reading the RFID tags 20 of medicalproducts as a healthcare worker carrying the medical products enters thepatient's room.

[0067] Turning now to FIG. 8, a method for verifying that the healthcareworker administers the correct medical products to a patient at thepatient's bedside will now be described.

[0068] In step 810, the bedside terminal 150 identifies the patient tobe administered the medical product. This may be done manually by havingthe healthcare worker enter patient identification information, e.g.,patient ID, into the bedside terminal 150 using a keypad. The patientidentification information may be provided to the healthcare worker by achart at the patient's bedside or a wristband worn by the patient.Alternatively, the patient identifier may be provided in a patient RFIDtag read by the RF reader 155 of the bedside terminal 150. The patientRFID tag may be attached to a chart or a wristband worn by the patient.In still another alternative, the patient identifier may be preloadedinto the memory of the bedside terminal 150.

[0069] In step 820, the healthcare worker takes out the medical productshe or she intends to administer to the patient. In step 830, thehealthcare worker may read the RFID tags 20 of these medical productsinto the bedside terminal 150 using the RF reader 155. This may be done,e.g., by placing the medical products in close proximity to the RFreader 155. Alternatively, the RF reader 155 may be located at anentrance, e.g., a doorway, of the patient's room for automaticallyreading the RFID tags 20 of these medical products as the healthcareworker enters the patient's room carrying these medical products.

[0070] In step 840, the bedside terminal 150 verifies that the patientpresent is the correct patient to receive the medical products proposedby the healthcare worker. The bedside terminal 150 may do this bycomparing the medical product information read from the RFID tags 20with information of the medical products to be administered to thepatient, which may be downloaded to the bedside terminal 155 from theassociated patient file in the database 120. The comparison may includecomparing dosage information read from the RFID 20 tags with dosageinformation from the associated patient file to confirm that the patientis receiving the correct dosage. Alternatively, or in addition, thebedside terminal 150 may compare intended patient information, e.g.,patient ID, read from the RFID tags 20 with the patient identifier inthe bedside terminal 150. The bedside terminal 130 may also check forany adverse drug interaction between the medical products brought forthe patient and medical products administered to the patient earlier byconsulting a drug interaction database. The bedside terminal 130 maydetermine that the medical products should not be administered to thepatient if it detects a mismatch in any one of these comparisons and/oran adverse drug interaction. Alternatively, the management computer 115may perform the verification step by having the bedside terminal 150transmit the information read from the RFID tags 20 to the managementcomputer 115.

[0071] In step 850, the bedside terminal 150 indicates to the healthcareworker whether to proceed with administration of the medical productsbased on the above verification, e.g., by transmitting a “go/no go”signal to the healthcare worker. The “go/no go” signal may betransmitted to the healthcare worker using a variety of output devices,including LCD displays, LEDs, and the like. For example, the “go” signalmay be a green light emitted from a light indicator and the “no go”signal may be a red light emitted from a light indicator. In addition,the “no go” signal may be a buzzing sound emitted from a buzzer.

[0072] When the bedside terminal 150 indicates to the healthcare workernot to proceed with administration, the bedside terminal 150 may providethe healthcare with the specifics of any detected mismatch via a display730, such as the identity of a medical product not to be administered tothe patient. The bedside terminal 150 may then give the healthcareworker an opportunity to correct the mismatch by repeating steps820-850. In addition, the bedside terminal 150 may transmit informationof the mismatch to the management computer 115 so that the managementcomputer 115 may include a report of the mismatch in the associatedhealthcare worker file and/or patient file. The report may includespecific information of the mismatch, including incorrect medicalproducts, incorrect dosage, and the like. The administrators of thehealthcare facility may use the report to evaluate the work performanceof the healthcare worker, including looking for any patterns inmedication errors made by the healthcare worker. The administrators mayalso pool together and evaluate the reports from different healthcareworker files to look for any system-wide pattern in medication errors atthe healthcare facility. Optionally, the healthcare worker may take theimproper or unused medical product(s) to a return bin, e.g., in theoriginal dispensing unit, to a different dispensing unit, or in aseparate return medication station, as explained further below.

[0073] When the bedside terminal 150 indicates to the healthcare workerto proceed with administration, the bedside terminal 150 may recordinformation related to the administration of the medical products to thepatient. This information may include the product names and dosages ofthe medical products administered to the patient, the date and time ofadministration and/or the identity of the healthcare workeradministering the medical products. The bedside terminal 150 maytransmit the recorded administration information to the managementcomputer 115 to be included in the associated patient file in thedatabase 120. In addition, the management computer 115 may automaticallyenter the administration information into an electronic medicationadministration record (MAR) associated with the patient, which may bestored in the database 120. This has the advantage of not relying on thehealthcare worker administering the medical products to the patient torecord manually the administration of the medical products in a MAR,which may be prone to human error. In addition, this has the advantageof providing up-to-the-minute updates to the MAR and standardizing thedocumentation in the MAR. The management computer 115 may also enter theadministration information into the billing record of the patient inorder to bill the patient's insurer for the medical productsadministered to the patient. This may help ensure that the patient'sinsurer is timely billed for only those medical products actuallyadministered to the patient.

[0074] In one embodiment, the bedside terminal 150 may include an inputdevice 720, e.g., a keypad or touch screen, to enable a healthcareworker to enter observations of the patient into the bedside terminal,such as the condition of the patient at time of administration of themedical products and the like. The bedside terminal 150 may thentransmit these observations to the management computer 115 to beincluded in the patient file and/or MAR associated with the patient.

[0075] In another embodiment, after the healthcare worker has completeda round, the healthcare worker may indicate to the management computer115 that he or she has completed the round, e.g., via a checkoutterminal (not shown) linked to the management computer 115. Themanagement computer 115 may then verify that the healthcare worker hasadministered all of the medical products to the patients assigned to himor her in that round. The management computer 115 may do this bycomparing the medical products that the healthcare worker removed fromthe dispensing unit with the medical products administered to thepatients assigned to him or her in the round. If the management detectsa mismatch, then the management computer 115 may immediately notify thehealthcare worker of the detected mismatch via a terminal linked to themanagement computer 115. This may occur, for example, if the healthcareworker becomes distracted by an emergency during the round and forgetsto administer medical products to one or more of his or her patients.The notification may include specific information of the mismatch, suchas the identity of any medical products that were removed from thedispensing unit but not administered to the intended patient.

[0076] In many cases, it is critical that medical products areadministered to a patient within a period of time after they are removedfrom the dispensing unit 410. For example, certain medical products,e.g., chemotherapy drugs, quickly loss their potency when placed in anaqueous solution. To address this, the management computer 115 accordingto an embodiment may monitor the time period between the time that amedical product is removed from the dispensing unit 410 and the timethat the medical product is administered to a patient. In thisembodiment, when a medical product is removed from the dispensing unit,the dispensing terminal 140 may record the time that the medical productis removed from the dispensing unit 410 and transmit the recorded timeto the management computer 115. When the healthcare worker, e.g., nurse,is ready to administer the medical product to the intended patient atthe patient's bedside, the bedside terminal 150 may consult with themanagement computer 115 whether to proceed with the administration. Thismay be done, e.g., by having the bedside terminal 150 transmit medicalproduct information read from the RFID tags 20 to the managementcomputer 115. The management computer 115 may then retrieve the recordedtime that the medical products were removed from the dispensing unit 410using the received medical product information. The management computer115 may then compute the time difference between the time ofadministration and the time that the medical product were removed fromthe dispensing unit 150. If the time difference exceeds a predeterminedtime limit for administering the medical product to the patient, thenthe management computer 115 may notify the bedside terminal 150 not toproceed with the administration of the medical product. Thepredetermined time limit may be based on a limited stability of thepotency of the medical product.

[0077] When the time limit for administering a medical product isexceeded, the healthcare worker may contact a physician or pharmacist,e.g., via a phone, to make a judgement call on whether to administer themedical product to the patient. In this embodiment, the physician orpharmacist may view the time difference between administration andremoval of the medical products from the dispensing unit 410 on aterminal, e.g., a personal computer, linked to the management computer115. If the physician or pharmacist determines that it is acceptable toadminister the medical product, then he or she may transmit an overridecommand to the management computer 115 to allow the healthcare worker toproceed with administering the medical product to the patient.

[0078] If a decision is made not deliver a medical product to a patient,the unused medical product may be taken to a return bin of a dispensingunit, e.g., the unit from which it was originally removed, anotherunits, or a special medication station for returned medical products.The RFID tags of the medical products in the return bin (or in theentire dispensing unit) may be read before and after the medical product(or products) is (are) placed in the return bin. A difference betweenthe readings of the RFID tags taken before and after the medical productis returned to the dispensing unit may be used to identify the medicalproduct returned to the dispensing unit. In addition, the processor ofthe dispensing unit may identify a patient intended to receive thereturned medical product, and a notice may be sent, e.g., to thepharmacy, the patient's doctor, a facility administrator, and the like,that the intended patient did not receive the returned medical product.Thus, if the failure to deliver the medical product was mistaken, actionmay be taken to correct the mistake. If the medical product was notdelivered, and it is confirmed that delivery should not be resumed, anyadministrative action that had been taken assuming that the medicalproduct was being delivered may be adjusted. Thus, the patient's record,billing, and the like may be corrected to accurately indicate themedical products that were actually delivered to the patient.

[0079] In addition or alternatively, the processor may transfer aninventory of returned medical products via a communications link to acentral database, e.g., maintained by the facility's managementcomputer. For example, if a particular medical product is missing, allof the return bins in the facility may be inventoried or searched todetermine whether the medical product has been returned to a return binin one of the dispensing units. Thus, the location and status ofvirtually all of the medical products in the facility may be tracked.

[0080] Therefore, the invention provides a closed-loop system fortracking and monitoring medical products within a healthcare facility,from the time that the medical products are received by the pharmacy tothe time that they are administered to patients. The system of theinvention provides up-to-the-minute inventories of the medical productsin the pharmacy and medication-dispensing units of the healthcarefacility. In addition, the system tracks the delivery of medicalproducts from the pharmacy to the medication- dispensing units placedthroughout the healthcare facility by verifying that the dispensingunits receive medical products withdrawn from the pharmacy. Furthermore,the system monitors the removal of medical products from the dispensingunits by verifying that healthcare workers only remove those medicalproducts to be administered to patients assigned to the healthcareworkers. The system also tracks the delivery of medical products fromthe dispensing unit to patients by verifying that healthcare workersadminister all of the medical products removed from the dispensing unitto the intended patients. The system also monitors the administration ofthe medical products to patients by verifying that the patients receivethe correct medical products before administration, thereby reducing therisk of adverse drug events. In addition, the system reduces the risk oflost or stolen medical products by immediately notifying healthcareworkers and/or administrators of any missing medical products so thatthey may take appropriate action to recover and/or investigate themissing medical products.

[0081] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications, andalternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in thedrawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular formsor methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for tracking and monitoring medicalproducts within a healthcare facility for medical products received by apharmacy of the facility to administration to patients includinginventory of medical products in medication dispensing units of thehealthcare facility, and for verifying receipt of medical products inthe dispensing units, monitoring removal thereof and tracking deliveryof medical products from dispensing units to patients, and for verifyingthat patients receive correct medical products before administrationcomprising a pharmacy terminal for receiving product information andRFID tag information of medical products in the pharmacy, a managementcomputer for receiving product information read from RFID tags of themedical products from the pharmacy terminal, and for comparinginformation of the medical products shipped to the healthcare facilitywith the information received from the pharmacy terminal to verify thatthe medical products were received by the pharmacy, a plurality ofmedication dispensing units for receiving medical products to bedispensed to patients, and each including a medication dispensingterminal, each dispensing unit including at least one storage drawer forstoring medical products therein, each dispensing terminal being capableof reading RFID tags of medical products inside the dispensing unitbefore the dispensing unit receives medical products from the pharmacyand reading RFID tags inside the dispensing unit after medical productsare placed therein for determining the difference in RFID tag readingsbefore and after the medical products are disposed in the dispensingunit, each dispensing terminal being capable of communicating with themanagement computer for detecting a mismatch between the medicalproducts received by the dispensing unit and medical products withdrawnfrom the pharmacy, and a patient room terminal for communicating withthe management computer and including an RF reader for verifying thepatient to receive medical products and comparing medical productinformation read from RFID tags with information of medical products tobe administered to the patient, and for detecting a mismatch.
 2. Asystem as in claim 1 wherein at least one medication dispensing unitincludes a movable medication cart.
 3. A system as in claim 1 includingan RF reader near a doorway of the healthcare facility for reading RFIDtags as medical products are removed from the pharmacy.
 4. A system asin claim 1 including an RF reader mounted near a doorway for readingRFID tags of medical products prior to administration to patients.
 5. Asystem as in claim 1 wherein the storage drawers are lockable and atleast some of the drawers include plural compartments for receivingmedical products.
 6. A system as in claim 1 wherein in medicationdispensing terminal can detect unauthorized removal of medical productsfrom the unit to notify an administrator of the healthcare facility of amismatch.
 7. A system as in claim 1 wherein the patient room terminalcomprises an RF reader pad in a patient's room for reading RFID tags ofmedical products to be dispensed to patients.
 8. A system for ahealthcare facility for tracking and monitoring medical productsreceived by the facility for ultimate administration to patients andincluding medication dispensing units for containing medical products,and for verifying receipt of medical products by the dispensing units aswell as monitoring removal thereof to track delivery of medical productscomprising a terminal for receiving product information and RFID taginformation of medical products received at the facility, a managementcomputer for receiving product information read from RFID tags ofmedical products from the terminal, a plurality of medication dispensingunits for receiving medical products to be dispensed to patients, and atleast one RF reader mounted near a doorway of the healthcare facilityfor automatically reading RFID tags of medical products as they aremoved within the facility.
 9. A system as in claim 8 wherein the RFreader is located near a patient's room for automatically reading RFIDtags of medical products as a healthcare worker moves medical productsto the patient room.
 10. A system as in claim 8 wherein the terminal isin a pharmacy of the facility and the RF reader is located near thepharmacy.
 11. A system for a healthcare facility for tracking andmonitoring medical products received by the facility for ultimateadministration to patient and including medication dispensing units forcontaining medical products, and for verifying receipt of medicalproducts by the dispensing units as well as monitoring removal thereofto track delivery of medical products comprising a terminal forreceiving product information and RFID tag information of medicalproducts received at the facility, a management computer for receivingproduct information read from RFID tags of medical products from theterminal, a plurality of medication dispensing units for receivingmedical products to be dispensed to patients, and at least one RF readermounted near a doorway of a patient's room of the healthcare facilityfor automatically reading RFID tags of medical products as they aremoved to the patient's room.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein atleast one dispensing unit automatically opens the drawers containingmedical products to be removed as a result of a healthcare workeraccessing the dispensing unit.